Suddenly ravenousely hungry

[Anonymous]

I have been eating really healthy and around 1200 cal a day for two weeks. It has been going really well. Today though I am just ravenously hungry. I have no idea why. All I can think about it food and wanting to eat more. I am not sure if I should just eat something else (I am already at 1300 cal today) so I am not so hungry or if it is psychological and I should just power through and hope it is gone tomorrow?

[Anonymous]

Probably hormones. Eat some good fats like avocados.

[Anonymous]

I have had lots of protein and fats today - including an avocado. Had half an avocado at breakfast and a piece of avocado meatloaf for supper.

I woke up hungry and eating hasn't touched the feeling - I am hungry while eating and after! It is probably hormonal.

[Anonymous]

How tall are you and what is your goal weight?

For most folks 1200 calories is not enough and eating in such a large deficit will cause you to have days like today where you’re really hungry. You’re better off either eating a little more each day of cycling calories -higher and lower days so you don’t feel deprived and ravenous.

[Anonymous]

Where are you in your cycle? It is common to get like this, despite diet or no diet, during certain times and might be exacerbated by your calorie intake for the last 2 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How tall are you and what is your goal weight?

For most folks 1200 calories is not enough and eating in such a large deficit will cause you to have days like today where you’re really hungry. You’re better off either eating a little more each day of cycling calories -higher and lower days so you don’t feel deprived and ravenous.

I am 5'6" and 185 pounds currently. Goal for now is to just lose weight - I was at 160 a year ago so that is my first goal is get back there and then go from there.

There have been a few days where I only ate 900-1000 cals but I wasn't hungry and felt fine and just left it at that. I think today was my body saying I need more. Probably partly hormonal too, I am a little less than a week away from the start of my period.

I ended up eating a bag of popcorn and 10 peanut m and ms. Not the best healthy food but I have been eating really healthy and it won't kill me. I am actually proud that I was able to just eat ten and then stop. Binging on candy has been an issue for me in the past. It helped a lot. The raw, gnawing feeling in my stomach is gone.

[Anonymous]

any chance you're pregnant? when i got pregnant, all i wanted to do was eat.

[Anonymous]

Agree that it's probably hormonal and you just have to get through these brief times. 1200 calories is just fine for most, most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Your body is telling you something is missing. That's why you are craving for something. Eat fully, don't starve yourself. Walk if you can't run. Do it often. Once your stomach shrinks, it will take fewer amount of food to fill it.

[Anonymous]

It's really hard to sustain 1200 calories with no cheat day ever. When I did that kind of diet I did a cheat day once a week and I still lost fairly quickly (and I wasn't even overweight, just thicker than I wanted to be). If you're overweight you can probably do a 1800 calorie cheat day with no problem. Just be a LOT more intentional bc popcorn and m&ms are a sign that you sort of lost it. You want to spend your extra cheat calories in a way that will accelerate the loss- a giant portion of meat, a fatty avocado, an indulgent smoothie like peanut butter banana chocolate protein smoothie. Those sorts of food will answer the call of the wild going on inside your body.

[Anonymous]

1200 at 5’6” seems low. I would add another 200 cals. Depends on your activity levels as well.

[Anonymous]

Stay away from sugar - that spikes your hunger. In fact, keep your starchy/sugary carbs (rice, pasta, chocolate, etc) low in general.

Eat bulky foods like big spinach salads with low calorie (no sugar) dressing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How tall are you and what is your goal weight?

For most folks 1200 calories is not enough and eating in such a large deficit will cause you to have days like today where you’re really hungry. You’re better off either eating a little more each day of cycling calories -higher and lower days so you don’t feel deprived and ravenous.

I am 5'6" and 185 pounds currently. Goal for now is to just lose weight - I was at 160 a year ago so that is my first goal is get back there and then go from there.

There have been a few days where I only ate 900-1000 cals but I wasn't hungry and felt fine and just left it at that. I think today was my body saying I need more. Probably partly hormonal too, I am a little less than a week away from the start of my period.

I ended up eating a bag of popcorn and 10 peanut m and ms. Not the best healthy food but I have been eating really healthy and it won't kill me. I am actually proud that I was able to just eat ten and then stop. Binging on candy has been an issue for me in the past. It helped a lot. The raw, gnawing feeling in my stomach is gone.

Well this is why you are hungry. 1200 calories at 185 lbs is too low. Why does everyone think 1200 caries is some magic number for fat loss? Sure you will lose weight faster, that is if you can seriously maintain that much of a deficit for a long enough period of time, but you will be extremely hungry and lose a good deal of muscle along with the fat. You can eat low calorie a few days and not feel hungry but over time it is not sustainable. i have also found that overly restrictive diets that are this low calorie tend to lead to deprivation and then a binge.

At your weight I would eat closer to 1500-1800 (assuming a goal weight of 150lb and multiplying by 10-12) and before you tell me there is no way you can lose weigh eating that much, I will assure you that if you stick in that range consistently and track your calories accurately you will lose weight. Maybe not 2+ lbs a week but it will be more sustainable and doable for the length of time it will take you to reach your goal weight.

The above advice is coming from someone who tried the 1200 calorie thing and failed for years, once I set more realistic calorie range I stopped the cycle of overly restrictive- overly restrictive-overly restrictive- binge/overeating. And finally succeeded at losing the weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How tall are you and what is your goal weight?

For most folks 1200 calories is not enough and eating in such a large deficit will cause you to have days like today where you’re really hungry. You’re better off either eating a little more each day of cycling calories -higher and lower days so you don’t feel deprived and ravenous.

I am 5'6" and 185 pounds currently. Goal for now is to just lose weight - I was at 160 a year ago so that is my first goal is get back there and then go from there.

There have been a few days where I only ate 900-1000 cals but I wasn't hungry and felt fine and just left it at that. I think today was my body saying I need more. Probably partly hormonal too, I am a little less than a week away from the start of my period.

I ended up eating a bag of popcorn and 10 peanut m and ms. Not the best healthy food but I have been eating really healthy and it won't kill me. I am actually proud that I was able to just eat ten and then stop. Binging on candy has been an issue for me in the past. It helped a lot. The raw, gnawing feeling in my stomach is gone.

Well this is why you are hungry. 1200 calories at 185 lbs is too low. Why does everyone think 1200 caries is some magic number for fat loss? Sure you will lose weight faster, that is if you can seriously maintain that much of a deficit for a long enough period of time, but you will be extremely hungry and lose a good deal of muscle along with the fat. You can eat low calorie a few days and not feel hungry but over time it is not sustainable. i have also found that overly restrictive diets that are this low calorie tend to lead to deprivation and then a binge.

At your weight I would eat closer to 1500-1800 (assuming a goal weight of 150lb and multiplying by 10-12) and before you tell me there is no way you can lose weigh eating that much, I will assure you that if you stick in that range consistently and track your calories accurately you will lose weight. Maybe not 2+ lbs a week but it will be more sustainable and doable for the length of time it will take you to reach your goal weight.

The above advice is coming from someone who tried the 1200 calorie thing and failed for years, once I set more realistic calorie range I stopped the cycle of overly restrictive- overly restrictive-overly restrictive- binge/overeating. And finally succeeded at losing the weight.

Op here. I am not opposed to eating more. 1200 calories was what MyFitnessPal gave me when I started tracking my food. I think since I hadn't gotten hungry on what I was eating, I just kept at it. It hadn't really felt overly restrictive either. I was eating lots of fats and proteins and felt fine. I have been eating healthy (no pastas or breads or added sugars).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How tall are you and what is your goal weight?

For most folks 1200 calories is not enough and eating in such a large deficit will cause you to have days like today where you’re really hungry. You’re better off either eating a little more each day of cycling calories -higher and lower days so you don’t feel deprived and ravenous.

I am 5'6" and 185 pounds currently. Goal for now is to just lose weight - I was at 160 a year ago so that is my first goal is get back there and then go from there.

There have been a few days where I only ate 900-1000 cals but I wasn't hungry and felt fine and just left it at that. I think today was my body saying I need more. Probably partly hormonal too, I am a little less than a week away from the start of my period.

I ended up eating a bag of popcorn and 10 peanut m and ms. Not the best healthy food but I have been eating really healthy and it won't kill me. I am actually proud that I was able to just eat ten and then stop. Binging on candy has been an issue for me in the past. It helped a lot. The raw, gnawing feeling in my stomach is gone.

Well this is why you are hungry. 1200 calories at 185 lbs is too low. Why does everyone think 1200 caries is some magic number for fat loss? Sure you will lose weight faster, that is if you can seriously maintain that much of a deficit for a long enough period of time, but you will be extremely hungry and lose a good deal of muscle along with the fat. You can eat low calorie a few days and not feel hungry but over time it is not sustainable. i have also found that overly restrictive diets that are this low calorie tend to lead to deprivation and then a binge.

At your weight I would eat closer to 1500-1800 (assuming a goal weight of 150lb and multiplying by 10-12) and before you tell me there is no way you can lose weigh eating that much, I will assure you that if you stick in that range consistently and track your calories accurately you will lose weight. Maybe not 2+ lbs a week but it will be more sustainable and doable for the length of time it will take you to reach your goal weight.

The above advice is coming from someone who tried the 1200 calorie thing and failed for years, once I set more realistic calorie range I stopped the cycle of overly restrictive- overly restrictive-overly restrictive- binge/overeating. And finally succeeded at losing the weight.

Op here. I am not opposed to eating more. 1200 calories was what MyFitnessPal gave me when I started tracking my food. I think since I hadn't gotten hungry on what I was eating, I just kept at it. It hadn't really felt overly restrictive either. I was eating lots of fats and proteins and felt fine. I have been eating healthy (no pastas or breads or added sugars).

MFP give crazy calorie recommendations.

My advice would be to have a calorie range like i mentioned above. On days when you are not very hungry, eat less on days when you are more hungry eat more. As long as you stay in the range you will lose weight. It will also give you more flexibility in terms of being able to enjoy life/a little something extra because 1200 cal makes it hard to enjoy much.